Wood  Tiger

4 Feb - 4 Mar

The dragon opens one eye and shuts it. After some time, it does the same with the other eye. Days go by. The Lotus Eaters come and go. The dragon’s tongue lolls out. Before long, it is coming to the end of the month, and the dragon still seems listless.

Wood  Rabbit

5 Mar - 3 Apr

The groggy dragon stumbles out of its cave. Unable to read the signposts left by the rabbit, it tumbles down the hill, bringing a lot of dust and rocks with it. After the tiring fall, it finds a spot by a small stream on the plains and treats itself to a sleep-in.

Earth  Dragon

4 Apr - 4 May

Almost déjà vu. The dragon's eyes flicker open momentarily, only to seal shut once again. As days pass, the people rest in peaceful apathy. The dragon's tongue retreats into its mouth and it remains lethargic.

Fire  Snake

5 May - 4 Jun

Finally, some conscious movement. Aware of the peril that awaits a slumbering dragon exposed on the plain, it begins to lumber back up the hillside, and by the end of the month, it has once again found its resting place from early spring.

Fire  Horse

5 Jun - 5 Jul

Perhaps distracted by landing in the month of the Fire Horse, whose year it will be in 2026, or by an offer to perform on a stage somewhere, the dragon is not paying attention to the environment and once again slips back down towards the plain.

Earth  Goat

6 Jul - 6 Aug

In yet another turnaround - and we are only halfway through the year - the dragon exactly reverses the slide from the previous month. What's on the dragon's mind? Who knows, perhaps even the dragon doesn't, but the reverse motion is welcome.

Metal  Monkey

7 Aug - 6 Sep

Doubling the improvement from the previous month, the green wood dragon must have finally availed itself of solar and wind power to begin to soar. For the first time in the year, the dragon is clearly above the level at which it began.

Metal  Rooster

7 Sep - 7 Oct

Taking time to bow to the audience’s plaudits, the dragon tumbles off the stage and falls a short distance before clawing its way to a stop. Undeterred, it immediately sets about performing for the new audience.

Earth  Dog

8 Oct - 6 Nov

The dragon will finish this month still above the year’s starting point, yet this is another month with slippage. Distracted again by other affairs, the dragon slowly walks down and around, seemingly without purpose but taking the market with it.

Water  Pig

7 Nov - 5 Dec

Almost as unexpectedly, the finest month of the year comes unbidden. Perhaps the cooling year kindles its heart and a final concerted effort is made to produce something grander than all that has come before.

Water  Rat

6 Dec - 4 Jan

Yet another turn of fortune after such a splendid rise was hardly unexpected, but none is more welcome for its being so. Perhaps the gleam from some false gems off to the side has bewitched the dragon, which, once again, slips slightly down.

Earth  Ox

5 Jan - 3 Feb

The final month is naturally unforeseen. While now quite accustomed to the rollercoaster ride the dragon has provided, the unheralded rise is as welcome as it is surprising. A final flourish before the curtain call on the drama of another dragon year.